Formula One news

Alonso happy to get one over McLaren

Fernando Alonso admitted leaving Australia with more than he expected after he qualified eleventh on the grid and ended up getting the better of his replacement at McLaren - Heikki Kovalainen in the final stages.

"It was a very strange race with the safety cars and the accidents we had," Alonso said. "In the end we took advantage of everything and I finished fourth which ten laps from the end I was not expected."

With just two laps to go, Kovalainen passed Alonso in the final section of the lap to the joy of McLaren mechanics and team boss Ron Dennis, but the Finn accidentally hit his pit lane speed limiter at the start of the final lap and that let Alonso blast past to retake fourth.

"Of course I felt good when I passed Heikki at the end, after seeing how McLaren was celebrating when he passed me, I got to do the same just after when I passed him," Alonso added.

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